Nick Norris served as a Navy SEAL from 2003 to 2013, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.The training exercises pushed him to his physical limits, but the hardest part was the cold.This is Norris' story, as told to Rachel Hosie.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nick Norris. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I was 19 in 2000, I left my home of Chicago and enrolled at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I was a political science major and I earned a BSc while also preparing to become a commissioned officer.
After getting my degree, I went through the selection process for Naval Special Warfare, which is the SEAL team. What's known as Basic Underwater Demolition Seal (BUDS) training takes place at the Naval Amphibious Base out in Coronado, California.
BUDS, including the infamous "Hell Week," was as grueling as expected, but I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to do it.
The hardest part wasn't the exercises that pushed me to my physical limits or being brutalized by staff, it was the bitter cold — which is ironic given I now voluntarily do cold water therapy for my health.
When I completed my training in 2003, I began 10-and-a-half years of active service as a Navy SEAL, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Looking back, what I remember most is the incredibly strong bonds I built with my fellow servicemen and women.We had to carry a log weighing over 200 pounds while running up sand dunes and through water in a team of six to eight people. However, my team-members quickly started dropping out and it ended up being just three of us carrying the log for three hours while being shouted at by staff. It pushed me to my absolute physical limit. I was completely exhausted.
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